After completing his education he wanted to become an actor in the Hindi film industry at Bombay, so moved closer to the city. He took a school teacher's job in Dapoli, about 200 kilometres from Mumbai.[3] He eventually joined the film industry in 1948 as an assistant director starting with Satish Nigam in Raj Kapoor starrer Sunhere Din, subsequently he worked with directors like Gyan Mukherjee, and Phani Majumdar at Bombay Talkies, in Tamasha, Baadbaan and Dhobi Doctor.

Eventually he got his break as an independent director when Samanta directed his first feature film, Bahu in 1954, starring Karan Dewan, Usha Kiron, Shashikala and Pran[3] and after the success for his next few films, Inspector (1956), Sheroo (1956), Detective (1957) and Hill Station (1957), he started his own production company, Shakti Films, in 1957, and the first release of his independent banner was the murder-mystery Howrah Bridge, with Ashok Kumar and Madhubala as the lead, with its crooning number 'Aaiye Meherbaan' with music by O. P. Nayyar, sung by Asha Bhosle in a notable Geeta Dutt style, and picturised on Madhubala became a rage, and the film a breakthrough hit; this was a turning point.[4][5] With Insaan Jaag Utha (1959) starring Sunil Dutt and Madhubala, he wanted to shift to making films on social themes, but when it was unsuccessful, he shifted back to making entertainers for another decade, for returning to social themes, with Aradhana (1969).[6]

On some of his films, his brother and wife were producers. He also produced some of the films that his son, Ashim Samanta, directed.[8] In 1985, Shaktu Film established 'Aradhana Sound Service', a digital audio post-production facility which works both for Bollywood as well as Hollywood films.[4]

Samanta died of cardiac arrest at his suburban Santa Cruz residence at approximately 5pm on 9 April 2009, while undergoing physiotherapy.[9] He was recovering from a stroke he had suffered two months ago.[6]